“Being taken to jail,” Ansley answered.
Not blushing anymore, I felt the blood drain from my face.
“What?Why?He must—”
“My lady,” Loren said quietly, and I turned to him.“Yourmother and sister were released hours ago when Maitland and I arrived here.”
I stared.
“Your sister’s doctor has been called and will arrive withhaste,” he continued.“We offered your mother a maid, a meal and a bath, butshe won’t let go of your sister and is refusing anything until she sees you.Ihave assured her you are well, and your arrival is imminent.”
I grasped the froth of his shirt in my gloved hand.“Whereis she?”
“She’s inside.”
“You brought her here?How was she?Is she okay?”
“Okay?”
“Healthy.Well.Strong.”
“We didn’t bring her here.She was already here.She wasimprisoned in the cellars.”
I stared again, though I spoke through it this time.
“But he…took me on a carriage ride, blindfolded, before heshowed me where she was.”
“I’m afraid, if he did that to you, it was a ruse,” Lorenmurmured.
“She was…in the same house with me all along?”I said in asmall voice.
Could that even be?
She was right there?
With me?
While I was Eliza Doolittling, she was sufferingin thebasement?
“I’m sorry,” he said in a quiet tone.
It was then I noticed a man who was big and tall and strong,like Loren, and handsome, like Loren (though not as handsome as Loren),strolling out the front door to Dad-not-Dad’s townhome.
And I wondered what in good hell I was doing standing on thesidewalk talking to Loren.
I bound-thighs ran to the steps, up them, past the new hotguy, and pushed into the house.
“Mom!”I shouted.
“Baby?”I heard from my left.
Edgar’s sitting room.
I ran that way.
And there she was, dirty, disheveled, much thinner than I’dever seen her, in a filthy, white nightgown from this world, Maxine in the samestate, clinging to her side.
Right, Mom and I had scrimped and saved and made do and dugin when necessary, and dug ourselves out when that was necessary.I’d startedworking at fourteen to help.We weren’t hard.But we were survivors.We weretough.We were strong.We endured.
